Boarding Psychiatric Patients in the Emergency Department: Perceptions of ED Nurses and Nursing Assistants

The boarding of psychiatric patients in emergency departments (EDs) while waiting for an inpatient mental health bed is a growing problem across the nation, resulting in increased healthcare expenditures, as well as negative effects on patient outcomes. Gaps in the literature exist regarding the experiences of ED nurses and nursing assistants caring for boarded psychiatric patients. The purpose of this study was to identify perceptions of ED nurses and nursing assistants caring for boarded psychiatric patients in the ED through an electronic survey. Interpretive phenomenology was used to analyze the survey responses and develop themes to gain insight into this issue. A total of thirty-eight surveys were analyzed and aggregated to develop themes. Through an analysis of the survey responses, lack of control was found to be an overarching theme, which included four main themes: nontherapeutic environment, safety, inconsistency of staff, and lack of training and education. Overall, nurses expressed greater levels of dissatisfaction caring for these patients than nursing assistants. Nurses and nursing assistants reported confidence caring for these patients, but both desired more training, consistency, and a safer, more therapeutic environment. Further research is needed to provide greater insight into this problem from the perspectives of staff members across the nation.Bachelor of Scienc